His Unrequited Love
by poindexteRRose
Summary: "Marry me, please, I'm begging you," by this time Tommy was on one knee. Josephine kneeled to his level and kissed him. "No," she said and Thomas lowered his head. He just wanted her back but he knew he could never have her. She would remain His Unrequited Love.
1. prologue

****I have edited and slightly rewrote 'His Unrequited Love.'. There will be plot changes.****

**Josephine Jesus**

Josephine is the daughter of Jeremiah Jesus and the older sister of Isiah Jesus. Josephine was an unruly child. She played all types of pranks on the people of Small Heath and got herself in quite a lot of trouble with her best friend, John Shelby. She was carefree and living her best life until her dad had gotten enough.

**The Jesus Residence**

"Josephine Jesus. Come here now," her father boasted from inside their living room.

Josephine cringed. He had never yelled at her that way. She got off her bed and proceeded into the living room.

"Yes, father," she said, giving him her best puppy dog eyes in hopes he would take it easy on her for whatever she did that caused him to act in such a manner.

"What did you do today?" asked her father as he stared deep into her very soul as if he could tell in an instant if she was lying. It was times like this were Josephine hoped that the floor would open up and swallow her whole.

"I hung out with John for the majority of the day, then I came home and took a nap," Josephine replied. She purposefully left out the details of her and John stealing out of the farmer's market, going to the Garrison and getting blind drunk, and passing out on her bed.

Her dad's eye began to twitch, and his breath became uneven. Josephine took a step backward, getting more frightened by the second. Her dad was starting to think he was going mad. Jeremiah prayed to God that she would find some type of order within herself and act like a true lady because she more acted like a teenage boy. It was times like this where he wished that her mother was still alive.

"I didn't want to have to do this, but it seems like nothing else is working. I am sending you off to a boarding school in Newcastle," he said warily, pinching the bridge of his nose. He never in a million years wanted to send his daughter off to some school over 3 hours away.

Josephine, on the other hand, could not believe her ears. She knew she was a handful and a bit of a pain in the ass, but Josephine didn't think that it was bad enough to get shipped away from her home and everything she knew.

"Father, no! I promise I'll be better, please just don't send me off to Newcastle, please," she begged with her hands clasped together so tight that her knuckles turned white. She had a few tears coming down her eyes, and that's what broke her father's heart, but he could not give in for this was the best thing he could do for her.

"I'm so sorry, baby, but this will be good for you. Your clothes are packed, and your train will be here in half an hour," he said, looking at the ground, disappointed and heart-broken. She couldn't believe he had everything thought out. He must have been planning this for a long time. She couldn't fight him on this, and she knew that.

She nodded at him and went to her room and retrieved her suitcase in her closet, some paper, and a pen. She wrote a note to her best friend John and her little brother. When done, she placed the letter for John in her window ledge where they would exchange notes when she was grounded, and she slid her little brother's under his door.

She went to get her bags off her bed and went to the train station with her father. They said their tear-filled goodbyes, and she left her city behind.

**word count: 658**

**edited.**


	2. day one

**Josephine Jesus**

**March 2, 1914**

**Newcastle's School for Wayward Children**

I made my way up the cobblestone walkway towards the big estate. The school was covered in vines yet its lawn was cut to perfection. Students in uniform littered the campus along with a few teachers and staff who watched them under scrutinizing eyes. I kept my head down, not wanting any attention.

Soon I was inside the school. I followed the signs to the Headmaster's office. I couldn't help but notice that the student body was predominantly white, the fact unnerved me slightly. I can't be myself here, the littlest misunderstanding could have dire consequences. The plaque outside of the office read 'Mrs. Cliffe Headmaster'. I knocked on the antique door gently and entered when told to.

Behind the door was a short, plump woman dressed in a long grey dress. She sat behind a big wooden desk filled with papers. She looked up at me and pulled off her cat-eye glasses.

"Ah. You must be Ms. Josephine Jesus. Please, take a seat," she said a slight smile on her face. I sat my two cases on the floor and followed her instructions. "Welcome to Newcastle's School for Wayward Children," she welcomed me.

"Thank you for allowing me to attend your school, ma'am," I nodded, respectfully. Mrs. Cliffe went through the papers on her desk, looking for something while cursing under her breath. She finally found what she was looking for.

"This is your schedule for the year. Along with your chores, dorm room number, and the official NSWC handbook. Your chores are expected to be done every day and your grades are expected to never drop below a seventy percent. If it comes to our attention that you have not met our expectations or have broken any rule inside your handbook, the punishment will be severe and you will refer to me as madam headmaster," Mrs. Cliffe's voice had taken a drastic change. Her voice reminded me of Polly's when she lectured the Shelby boys and I whenever we were caught doing something bad.

"Yes, ma'am. I understand ma'am. I mean madam headmistress," I corrected myself when she gave me a disapproving look. A knock was heard from the door behind us.

"You may enter," Mrs. Cliffe shouted. A slender brown-skinned girl entered the room, cautiously. The girl had shoulder-length hair and was dressed in a uniform.

"You summoned me, madam headmistress," the girl said in a voice that was only slightly above a whisper. She kept her eyes trained to the floor.

"Yes, you will be showing our new student around and taking her to her dorm," Mrs. Cliffe informed the girl and held the papers up. The girl shuffled towards her desk and retrieved the papers. She looked over the papers and then looked up at me.

"We have the same dorm," the girl said to me.

"Of course, you do. That's why I assigned you to be her tour guide," Mrs. Cliffe rolled her eyes and then placed her glasses back onto her stoic face. "Off you go," Mrs. Cliffe shooed us. I gathered my luggage and the girl and I exited her office without another word. We walked for about two minutes before she spoke to me.

"My name's Rosy Gardiner," she stated.

"I'm Josephine Jesus," I replied.

"So, what'd you do to end up here?" Rosy asked me. I shrugged my shoulders.

"The usual. Father got tired of me drinking and partying. Sent me here to get some 'structure'," I summarized my father's reasons for sending to boarding school. Rosy just nodded.

"Yeah that's the usual. Well, welcome to hell," Rosy gestured to the school. I stifled a chuckle. "So, I'm going to show you our dorm in the colored girl building and then I can show you the route to all of your classes. It just so happens that we have five out of seven classes together," Rosy stated our agenda. I only nodded. We neared the colored girl building which was a six-minute walk from the main building.

"Are the classes segregated also?" I asked. Rosy shook her head.

"No, only the living quarters," Rosy informed me. We enter the building and make our way up to the second floor. I noticed that some of the girls in the building gave Rosy disgusted looks. I decided against questioning it. Rosy puts a key into room '207' and unlocks it. She pushes the door open and walks into the room. The room was divided into two.

On one side the wall was painted black, had a twin-size bed, a wardrobe, and a small desk. The other side was almost identical except for it was painted beige. I placed my luggage on the bed and began unpacking.

"If you don't mind me asking, how'd you end up here?" I asked, cautiously, while folding my clothes and placing them inside the wardrobe.

"I don't really disclose that part of my life with people. Let's just say that my mother will never forgive me," Rosy answered. I raised my eyebrows, the feeling of curiosity rising in my body but I suppressed it due to the fact that Rosy didn't look comfortable. "Tell me about your home," Rosy prodded.

"I grew up in a small town in Birmingham, my father's a street preacher and my mother died a little after my brother was born. I was devastated by my mother's death but I had Polly," I stated. Rosy sat on her bed and waited for more.

"Who's Polly?" Rosy questioned.

"She's my best friend's aunt. She's had it rough but she's one of the strongest people I know," I explained Polly's importance to me. Rosy waved her hand, impatiently.

"Keep going, girl," Rosy stated. I chuckled.

"You want to know everything?" I asked. Rosy nodded eagerly.

"My best friend is John Shelby. Him, his brothers, and their aunt are my family as well. They always made sure I was safe and that my brother didn't get into the wrong crowd," I answered.

"All that time with boys. Something must have happened," Rosy infers. I placed the good luck charms from the Shelbys on my nightstand. A smirk found its way onto my face. I turned towards Rosy and sat on my new bed.

"John and I tried to see if we could be something more but we agreed it would just be weird. His brother, Thomas, had the biggest crush on me, but nothing came from that either. I doubt he even knows that I know he had a crush on me," I explained. Rosy just listened to me ramble, her eyes wide. She looked like a child being told the best bedtime story.

"Your life sounds like a picture film or a book," Rosy jokes. I laugh. She rose from her bed and stated that it was time to do a walkthrough of the school. They shared stories as they walked through the many halls of the school. A group of white people come down the hall and Rosy guides me out of their way. I look at her confused and then I look at the group that consisted of two girls and two boys. My eyes connected with the boy with grey eyes. He smirks at me and continues walking with his friends.

"Who's that?" I asked Rosy, still looking at the boy's back until he disappeared behind a corner. Rosy snapped her fingers in my face.

"That was the devil and her demons," Rosy says. "The blonde twins were Lily and Milly Bradford, the brunette boy was Kaden Forester, and the boy you were staring down was the infamous James Potter. They're tighter than a pack of hyenas, incredibly horrid hyenas," Rosy concluded. I ignored her insults. The only thing I could think about was that smile and those sparkly grey orbs.

"Are those all the classes we have?" I asked Rosy. She nodded.

"It's time for dinner. We have all our meals in the cafeteria, come on," Rosy grabbed my hand and led me to the cafeteria. We got our food and settled into one of the tables in the back of the cafeteria. We laughed and ate the questionable food that the staff served. Once we were done, Rosy and I headed back to our dorm and talked until she fell asleep.

I pulled out a pen and some paper and began to write a letter to my family back home.

_Dear Dad,_

_I've arrived in Newcastle safely. The school seems very polished and strict. They have about 1000 rules and chores for me to do, but I guess it's for the best. I do not blame you for shipping me off. Perhaps I did become a bit too rebellious. Anyways, I've made a friend here. Her name's Rosy and she's my roommate. The school is year-long and we only take breaks for holidays. Tell the Shelbys to stay out of trouble, little Josie won't be there to cover their asses. Love you dad and keep me in your prayers._

_-Sincerely,_

_Josephine Jesus_

**word count: 1513**

**edited.**


	3. i know

**Josephine Jesus**

**March 9, 1914**

**Josephine and Rosy's Dorm**

****trigger warning near end****

The sound of shuffling and the heavy sunlight woke me from my sleep. I looked over to Rosy's bed, but it was empty. She was putting on her clothes behind the privacy screen. I let out a yawn and removed myself from my bed.

"You've been here a week, and you still can't wake up on time. We have first block in 15 minutes," Rosy stated. I quickly gathered my uniform and waited for Rosy to get done. I got dressed, and we left for first block.

Our first block was English, my worst class. The teacher, Mrs. Crueller, was rigorous and wanted everything we did to fit her style of teaching. I love to be creative and free when writing, but her strict ruling made it easy for me to stay above a C. First and second block passed fairly quickly.

I always looked forward to third block. I didn't have this class with Rosy, but it was the only class I had with Milly, Lily, Keith, and James. I sat behind Milly and next to James. James would pass me subtle notes, asking if I could meet him places, and I would tell him no over and over again. When the teacher fell asleep at her desk, the group of friends all turned to face me. I gave them a nervous once over.

"Hey, Josephine. We haven't introduced ourselves," Milly stated. "I'm Milly, she's Liley, he's Keith, and I'm sure you know our James," she continued, pointing to each of them.

"I know who you are," I spoke. Lily held a crooked smile that put me off. She sat on top of my desk.

"You are a beauty, Josephine. I can see why James has taken such an interest in you," Lily stated. I looked over at James to see him smile at me. I felt my cheeks warm. While looking at James, I failed to see the looks the three behind my back were exchanging.

"So, we thought maybe you'd like to sit with us at lunch," Lily suggested.

"Only you, though. Rosy couldn't join," Keith added on to Lily's suggestion. I thought about it for a second.

"Well, then I'm afraid I can't sit with you at lunch," I replied. James set his hand on top of mine and looked up at his friends.

"I'm sure Rosy could join us this once," James told them. They nodded at each other. The bell rang for dismissal.

"So we'll see you in fifth block," Milly said as they left the classroom. I stood from my seat and left. Later that day, Rosy refused to sit next to them at lunch.

"They're the antichrist, that's why," Rosy shouted. I covered her mouth.

"Stop, Rosy. They're not that bad," I said, defending them.

"You still new here, Josephine. You don't know what they have done," Rosy stated. I rolled my eyes.

"No, I don't know, but still everyone deserves a second chance. They seem like cool kids," I retorted.

"Why are you so desperate to be their friend?" Rosy questioned.

"I'm not desperate. I just don't want to have you as my only friend for the next couple of years," I spat back. We were lucky that none of the staff was patrolling near the girl's bathroom; otherwise, we would have gotten into trouble.

"So, what? I'm not cool or white enough to be your friend, Josephine?" Rosy asked me with a voice full of venom.

"That's not wh-," I tried to fix the situation, but it was too late. Rosy cut me off.

"Screw you, Josephine," Rosy said and left the bathroom. I ran my hand through my hair and looked into the mirror.

"Fuck," I whispered to myself. The door to the bathroom opened. In walked the headmaster.

"Ms. Jesus, I'm sure you do not have the bathroom as fourth block. To class now," Mrs. Cliffe ordered.

"Yes, madam headmaster," I said as I practically ran from the bathroom. I walked to Calculus and sat in my seat. I tuned out the lecture and lost myself in my mind.

Lunch began, and the cafeteria was packed full of students. I looked over at Rosy, who was sitting by herself, writing in her small notebook. I looked over at James and the others; they were laughing and signaling for me to sit with them. I made my way to their table. James pushed Lily away from him to clear a spot for me. I sat down in the space between them.

"Where's Rosy?" Keith asked. I struggled to find a good excuse.

"She has work to focus on," I lied.

"Shame," Lily said with what I detected as sarcasm.

"Where are you from?" Milly asks me.

"Birmingham," I answered.

"I've never met anyone from Birmingham. Is it as bad as they say?" Keith asks.

" 'As they say'? What does that mean?" I asked, a little offended.

"That Birmingham's filled with prostitutes, feens, and criminals," Lily states, bluntly.

"Lily, that's uncalled for," James tells Lily.

"No, it's okay," I tell James. "There are very dangerous people in Birmingham, but there are very good people that live there also. You have to see for yourself," I explained to Lily. James laughed and picked up my hand.

"We have to go. See you tomorrow?" James asked as he kissed my knuckles. My mouth opened, but no words formed. They left without another word.

I spent the rest of the day doing my chores and completing my schoolwork. Inside the mailbox outside of the colored girl dormitories was a letter from Polly.

_ Dear Josie,_

_How've you been, darling? Is anyone causing you any trouble? If so, I'll cut them with my blade. The boys have been a little down without you around. John and Thomas almost killed your father when he told us he sent you away. He said you needed help becoming a lady. I was already teaching you that. When is your first holiday break? I need to prepare a feast. Be safe, my love._

_Sincerely,_

_Polly Gray_

I chuckled at her, stating that she was teaching me to be a lady. All she did was teach me how to hide blades and guns on different parts of my body and feminine hygiene. But her teachings, no matter how small, made a significant impact on my life. I decided to write back.

_ Dear Polly,_

_I've been well. No one's causing trouble except for my roommate. We got into a heated argument, and I said some things that were perhaps a little too harsh. I guess I should apologize. Tell John and Thomas that I'll be back for Easter, we have the whole week off. Make anything, and I'll be grateful, the food here is horrendous. _

_Sincerely,_

_ Josephine Jesus_

I put the letter in the outgoing mailbox and went to my dorm. I undressed and laid in bed. Rosy walked in, making a lot of noise. I grew frustrated.

"Really, Rosy?" I exasperated. "Look, I'm sorry for what I said. I did mean for it to come out that way," I stated.

"I was only trying to warn you, Josephine. James and his friends are not the kind of people you want to befriend," Rosy says. I sat up on the bed.

"Then tell me, Rosy," I demanded. Rosy looked down at her feet and started twiddling her thumbs. She looked as if she was in deep thought.

****trigger warning****

"You remember when you asked me what happened to get me sent here?" Rosy asks. I nod. "My father walked out of my life early on. My mother took it hard, always blamed me. She moved on and got a new boyfriend. He was always really creepy, always watching me play with friends. I even caught going through my underwear drawer. I told my mother, but she brushed me off, claimed I was begging for attention. One day, he finally crossed the line. He waited until my mother was asleep..." Rosy trailed off. My eyes widened. I could tell where this story was going.

"No," I whispered. I stand up and make my way towards Rosy and sit on her bed.

"Crept into my room, and he raped me. I was only twelve. I had no idea what was happening. I just knew it was wrong and that I wanted it to stop," tears began falling from Rosy's eyes. "My mother refused to believe me and shipped me off here," Rosy concluded. I wrapped my arms around her in a tight embrace.

"They told everyone, didn't they?" I questioned. She nodded, sobs being the only thing you could from her.

"L-l-lily told everyone, and th-the rest of them let her," Rosy stuttered. Anger slowly consumed me. No one, especially not Rosy, deserved to be treated like that. Like she wasn't a human who was wronged by her mother and kicked out of her room. Rosy had grown to become like family to me. They wouldn't go unpunished for this. Not if I had anything to do about it.

"They won't get away with this, Rosy," I comforted her.

_I promise._

**word count: 1534 **

**edited.**


	4. holiday break

**Thomas Shelby **

**April 6, 1914**

**The Shelby Residence**

"Stop running around the fucking house or so help me God," Polly shouted at Finn and Arthur. Polly was trying to cook for supper, but Finn and Arthur kept knocking into her. I could hear them from the bathroom. "Where is Thomas?" I heard her ask.

"I'm in the bathroom, Aunt Pol," I shouted. The floorboards creaked as she made her way to me. She appeared from behind the wall. I stopped shaving my head and acknowledged her.

"What are you doing?" She questioned. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Shaving," I confessed. Polly's eyes squinted. Her face turned to one of realization.

"You've never cared about your hair before. Is this because of Greta or Josephine?" Polly asked me.

"No, I just want to look good for Easter Sunday," I lied. Polly could see straight through me.

"We don't even go to church, and Easter Sunday is a week away. You haven't lived that crush down?" Polly asked. "I wouldn't mind having her as a niece, though," Polly continued.

The whole family knew of my crush on Josephine. I didn't always have a crush on her. It began the summer after her fifteenth birthday. Josephine had been sick all winter, and the summer she came back, she had changed. She was taller, fuller, brighter. Josephine obtained the attention of nearly everyone in her presence, including myself. I started reading the books she liked and even eating her favorite foods to talk to her about them. When John noticed that Josephine and I were beginning to spend time together, he'd intentionally distance us from each other. John thought I was going to hurt her and that a six-year age difference was too much, so I never tried to court her.

"Please, Aunt Pol. Josephine's not interested in me," I countered. Polly rolled her eyes and approached me. She fixes my hair and smiles at me.

"She'd be lucky to have you," Polly reassures me and leaves to continue supper. I exit the bathroom and walk into the living room. John is putting on his cap and exiting the door. I stop him and ask where he's going.

"I'm going to pick up Josephine from the train station," he states. I hurriedly put on my coat and cap. "What do you think you're doing?" he asks me.

"I'm going with you," I answered and followed him out the door. We walked in silence until we reached the train station. Josephine's father and Isiah were already standing near the tracks. John and I greeted them. I tuned out of their conversation, looking down the tracks. I was nervous to see her again.

A train whistle was heard, stopping their conversation. The train comes to a full stop before opening its doors. People came rushing out, going to their families, and trying to get cars to take them home. My eyes searched and searched for Josephine, but she was nowhere to be found. Until she finally emerged from behind a big man. She was as beautiful as I remembered. Her lips were formed into a big smile when she saw us. Josephine ran over and hugged her father and brother, then John and me.

"I didn't expect you here, Thomas," Josephine comments.

"John asked me to come along," I lied. John squinted his eyes at me but saved me the embarrassment of the truth. The truth is, I wanted to see Josephine as soon as possible. When she left for boarding school, I was not one of the people she said goodbye to. It hurt a lot, but the feeling of betrayal dissipated once I had her in my sights.

She smiled again and hugged me. I immediately welcome her embrace and her hug back. I miss her touch as soon as she pulls away. If it weren't for the other people present, I would have pulled her back and never let her go.

Josephine was one of those rare beauties that you know that if you don't catch her at the right time, you will lose them forever. Before she left for boarding school, she barely needed the help of us chasing off unwanted men, because she lost interest in men so quickly. She'd be gossiping to Ada about a boy she had just met, and then when Ada mentioned them a week later, Josephine would act as if they never existed. Sometimes I feel as though I should keep my true feelings to myself in fear of becoming one of those forgotten suitors.

We step off the station's platform to head to the Jesus Residence. I grab the luggage from Josephinluggage and say goodbye before excusing myself to go home. I couldn't spend any more time with her right now. I don't trust my ability not to touch her. Maybe I'll be able to speak to her tomorrow.

e. She thanks me and hooks our arms together. The fact that her chest is touching me makes the lower part of me awaken. She can't tell, but she's making me

_Stop, Thomas_, I thought. _I'm with someone_ I try to shake the thoughts from my head. We arrived at Josephine's home. I return her luggage and say goodbye before excusing myself to go home. I couldn't spend any more time with her right now. I don't trust my ability not to touch her. Maybe I'll be able to speak to her tomorrow.

**word count: 891**

**edited.**

**just a filler chapter.**


End file.
